Many people get a great deal of joy from their soft and cuddly cat and since they don’t have to be taken for walks they are ideal pets for people who find walking difficult. But when you have to move house, it is important to ensure your moggie survives the move without any trauma – or at least, not too much.

While cats and dogs love their people it is in their nature to bond to their environment as well. Cats will often return to an old address months after they moved, unless you take care to ensure they bond to the new one.

Moving can be traumatic for any pet and care should be taken with their travel arrangements and introducing them to their new home. Small dogs should travel in a pet carrier, but larger dogs may need to be crated if they are not used to going with you in the car. If they are used to car travel, make sure they are securely a harnessed to keep them and you safe.

Once you arrive at your new home, don’t just let the dog out to explore his new neighbourhood, especially if the removalists are still unloading furniture. He may run away, or get in the way and cause someone to trip and fall, not good if they are carrying heavy furniture.

While moving can be stressful for you, consider how your pets must feel when they have no idea of what is happening to them. This is particularly true for fish and birds, that can’t take comfort from sitting on your lap and being petted.

Even the tamest bird that sits on your shoulder at home will fly away if you step outside with them; more so if there are noisy trucks and people trundling in and out of the home carrying furniture. So here are some tips for moving with fish and/or birds.

Moving is an exciting time, if somewhat stressful. Anyone who has moved will tell you that it takes a lot of time to pack up the house and organise the move. There are a myriad of details to attend to, from notifying everyone of your new address to ensuring the utilities are switched off when you go – and switched on at your new home when you arrive. Being pregnant adds even more challenge into the mix.

You might be wondering whether it is better to move before the baby is born or afterwards. Other mothers will tell you it’s easier to move without a new little person to care for, even if you don’t feel all that well during the pregnancy.

After months of weeks of organisation the day for your big move finally dawns and the removalists truck is heading down the street to your gate. You’d be delighted except for one thing. The rain is belting down with evil intensity, bent on destroying your well-laid plans for getting all your worldly goods onto – or off – the truck in good time. So what do you do?

Calling the whole thing off and going back to bed is not an option, even though it sounds like a sensible plan. What you have to do is work out a way to protect your precious stuff from the rain while its being loaded or unloaded.